This Day in Top 40 History: September 14
On Sept. 14, 1984, MTV aired the first-ever Video Music Awards. Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler hosted the inaugural award show, and in a standout moment, a scantily-clad Madonna performed…
On Sept. 14, 1984, MTV aired the first-ever Video Music Awards. Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler hosted the inaugural award show, and in a standout moment, a scantily-clad Madonna performed her hit song "Like a Virgin." David Bowie, ZZ Top, and Tina Turner also performed that night. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Sept. 14.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Chart-topping songs and albums often define an era of music, including these hits:
- 1974: Eric Clapton went to No. 1 with his song "I Shot The Sheriff." It was Clapton's only No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 and was written by Bob Marley.
- 1991: Paula Abdul hit No. 1 with her song "The Promise of a New Day." It was Abdul's sixth and final chart-topping song.
- 2003: Jet released their debut album, Get Born, which debuted during a wave of back-to-basics rock music in the early 2000s. The rock album included the hit song, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl."
- 2018: Carrie Underwood released her sixth album, Cry Pretty. The album covered emotional topics from Underwood's personal life and debuted at No. 1.
Cultural Milestones
The music industry's milestones are closely tied to cultural moments:
- 2013: John Legend and Chrissy Teigen got married in Italy. We have Teigen to thank for inspiring Legend to write songs such as "All of Me."
- 2024: Tickets for Olivia Rodrigo's special concert in Manila, Philippines, went on sale, and all proceeds went to Rodrigo's Fund 4 Good. The Oct. 4 show was particularly meaningful, as it honored Rodrigo's Filipino-American roots.
Notable Recordings and Performances
From live shows to special features, Sept. 14 was full of notable performances:
- 1976: Bob Dylan's TV special aired, coinciding with the release of Dylan's live album, Hard Rain. The special was a concert film, using footage from Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour.
- 1981: The Rolling Stones played a secret show at a small club in Worcester, Massachusetts, with nearly 4,000 fans waiting to get in. The show took place shortly before their tour.
- 2011: The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired special, behind-the-scenes footage from Taylor Swift's Speak Now tour. The show also played a recording from Swift's performance of "Our Song" at the Staples Center, where DeGeneres had joined her onstage.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry doesn't stay static, especially as technology and culture change:
- 1998: MTV gave the power to the viewers when it debuted a new show, Total Request Live. The show became a cultural phenomenon by showing fan-requested music videos and often contributed to chart boosts and increased album sales.
- 2014: In London, a life-size statue of Amy Winehouse was unveiled. Winehouse had died three years prior and would have been 31 at the time of the unveiling.
Whether you grew up listening to Eric Clapton or watching Total Request Live, there's something for you in the history books from Sept. 14.
